Freshwater habitats are among the most impacted ecosystems by various anthropogenic activities. The issue is not only the decreasing number of aquatic habitats but also the gradual decline in their quality. This negative trend, which could ultimately lead to a significant loss of biodiversity, is difficult to detect and mitigate. So, how can we identify habitats of reduced quality? In our experiment, we aim to determine how prolonged adverse conditions affect the survival and fitness of dragonfly larvae. To answer this, we established a pilot experiment in a controlled laboratory environment with regulated temperature and photoperiod where larvae are subjected to food deprivation and varying temperatures. We aim to assess whether these unfavourable conditions result in increased mortality or reduced larval physiological conditions.
